How Brown Fat Helps Grow Healthy Hair: Part 2

Last week I explained how brown adipose tissue (brown fat) may encourage strong healthy hair growth, and a lack of it can be linked to androgenetic alopecia.

Research has shown that the follicles where hair loss rarely occurs (such as the occipital region at the back of the scalp) contains a thick layer of brown fat. But, in those with androgenetic alopecia there is a lack of brown fat around the miniaturized follicles of the hair loss region.

This strongly suggests that brown fat serves a supportive role for hair follicles and hair growth.

There are two reasons for this:

1. Brown fat encourages angiogenesis (new blood vessel formation).
2. Brown fat can provide a protective cushioning effect.

So, how can you increase your scalp brown fat levels?

This newsletter provides the answer to that question…

The Omega 3 fish oils, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acids) have been associated with brown fat activity. So, it may be that by consuming a very high Omega 3 diet you can do something to help your hair grow. Perhaps the best evidence for this idea comes from the Inuit people (Eskimos) who consume extremely high levels of Omega 3 fish oils from their diet, and have a very low incidence of androgenetic alopecia.

You may be able to increase your levels of BAT from Omega 3 fish oil supplements containing EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Alternatively, Omega 3 can be obtained from eating oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, etc.



However, there is uncertainty as to how much Omega 3 will get converted into brown fat and then find it's way into your scalp.

Whilst diet might improve the growth of your hair, it is sensible to try a number of ideas in your battle against baldness: the hands-on techniques I used to regrow my own hair are now helping many others to do the same.



Some more BAT facts...

• BAT (i.e., brown adipose tissue) serves as a heat insulator, shock absorber and provides energy for the body.


• BAT has the ability to produce heat without the need for shivering and is of interest to scientists right now because it does this by burning calories from normal fat (white adipose tissue). This means that it may have an application in the weight loss industry.


• Recent research shows that BAT is related to skeletal muscle.


• BAT is brown because it is highly vascularized (i.e., it contains blood vessels) and contains a large number of mitochondria (which provide energy).


• Exposure to the cold will activate BAT activity.

How Brown Fat Helps Grow Healthy Hair: Part 1

There are many factors that can affect hair loss caused by androgenetic alopecia. This article explains how brown adipose tissue (brown fat) may encourage strong healthy hair growth, and a lack of it can be linked to hair loss.

Brown fat is found deep down in the subcutaneous layer of the skin (see diagram below). It is often referred to as "baby fat" because it comprises as much as 5% of the body weight in a newborn baby. Brown fat levels decrease with age, but it has recently been discovered that it is still present in adults.

It is most abundant in younger women and much less so in older, overweight men. So, basically this means that most men lack brown fat and suffer androgenetic alopecia, whereas most women and children possess higher levels of brown fat and suffer no androgenetic alopecia.

I do not believe this is simply a coincidence…



Research has shown that the follicles of vigorously growing hair are embedded in a layer of brown fat. But in people with androgenetic alopecia there is a lack of brown fat around dormant follicles: bald areas are mostly depleted of fat tissue, but in the lower rear (occipital) region where hair loss does not occur, a thick layer of fat tissue is present. It appears that this loss of fat layer occurs before the follicle miniaturization and hair loss processes begin.

This suggests that brown fat serves a supportive role for hair follicles and hair growth.

Androgenetic alopecia develops due to skull bone growth (skull expansion). This progressively constricts the blood vessels of the scalp and reduces the blood supply required by the follicles to grow hair. So, it may well be that brown fat will offer some resistance against this process.

There are two possible reasons for this:

1. Angiogenesis/vascularization
2. Cushioning effect against the skull expansion process

1. Angiogenesis/vascularization

Brown fat encourages angiogenesis (new blood vessel formation). Hair undergoes a growth cycle. And during the growth phase, follicles will continuously try to grow deep down into the dermis of the skin where they can receive an abundant supply of blood. But in those with androgenetic alopecia, this process is hindered (by skull expansion). So, if brown fat levels can be increased, this might create new blood vessels and allow healthy hair to grow.

2. A cushioning effect

Given that a layer of brown fat will increases the thickness of the dermis, it may provide a cushioning effect that can reduce blood vessel constriction and increase scalp flexibility.

So, how can you increase your scalp brown fat levels?

The answer to that question is given next week.

Magnetic Hair Loss Products

Magnet therapy (or magnetic therapy) has been widely used to treat a whole range of conditions and diseases including hair loss.

Several magnetic hair loss products are available. These include:

• A magnetic hair brush.


• A magnetic helmet.


• A plastic roller (with plastic teeth on the outside and magnets on the inside).

First of all, let me state the obvious: magnet therapy does not involve "pulling" the iron in your blood around your scalp follicles - you do not have tiny pieces of metallic iron floating around your body, and your blood is not magnetic!

The iron in your body is attached to a protein called haemoglobin. Oxygen bonds with this organic form of iron and is then circulated by your red blood cells. There is no product that can create an increase in circulation through any magnetic force of attraction.

So, how does magnet therapy work? And can it really help your hair?

A magnetic field can move (or spin) electrons and also ionize (charge) oxygen atoms within water (and therefore blood). This is called ionisation by magnetic induction (IMI).

Apparently, the oxygen ions that magnetic fields create through IMI can restore normal blood pH.

Most people have slightly acidic blood (i.e., low pH) usually due to excessive protein consumption. Cell walls and capillaries are pH sensitive. And, if the blood pH is acidic, blood flow and therefore oxygen delivery will be restricted. So, by restoring normal pH, a magnetic field may improve circulation.

In fact, it has been recorded that, in some cases of extremely poor circulation, a 300% increase in blood flow has occurred within minutes of applying a magnetic field.

Obviously this suggests that magnet therapy may help improve the blood supply to your scalp and therein help your hair grow.

Blood treated in one part the body will circulate to all other parts. This means that you only need one magnetic product, and can apply it anywhere to gain the benefits it produces. In other words, you can wear a magnet on your wrist - you don't need to strap one (or roll one) around your head! Also, you can wear a wrist strap magnet 24 hours per day, but it's unlikely that you would use a magnetic roller or brush for any more than maybe 10 minutes per day.




I myself wear a very powerful magnetic wrist strap. However I should stress that this is not how I managed to stop my hair loss and start growing healthy hair again - I only started wearing it several years after I found success with my own hands-on techniques. I wear it because, as a nutritionist, I know that maintaining a balanced blood pH is healthy. And, whether it helps or not, wearing it is completely effortless.

Whilst any beneficial effect magnetic products could have on your hair growth might be unclear, the magnetic roller should help increase scalp circulation through rolling the hard teeth over your scalp.

But, this raises the question: why pay $50 for a device when you can simply use a hard toothed comb for free?

Try it! Grab a firm, fine-toothed comb and press it into the scalp. How hard you press and for how long is up to you. But there's no doubt that it will increase blood flow locally for a short time.

You can test this by pressing the teeth of the comb into say the soft tissue on your hand. Very quickly it will turn red (which, of course, indicates that there's an increase in blood flow to the surface of your skin). You'll be surprised how long it remains red.

Note: you have to be careful with this idea - the blood flow represents a reaction to the trauma you're putting your skin under - if you press too hard and for too long you may make the skin raw and could even cause bleeding.

Also, if you lie face down on a bed with your head over the end while doing this exercise, you'll be using gravity to assist you. This will further encourage blood to flow to your hair roots, making this idea even more effective.

So, there you go, I've just saved you $50!

How Skull Expansion Explains Successful Hair Transplants

Some people ask me: If skull expansion causes hair loss, how do you explain the success of hair transplant operations?

It's a good question. Follicles from the back of the head (occipital region) transplanted to the balding (MPB) region can successfully grow hair. But, follicles from the MPB region transplanted to some other part of the body do not.

Why?

I believe there are a number of reasons:

First of all, at the time of a transplant, a patient will already be experiencing severe hair loss. This indicates that, in the area which will receive the transplant, skull expansion has probably already fully developed * and so no more (or very little) bone growth will occur following the procedure.

* Obviously the skull doesn't keep growing indefinitely, this process does eventually stop: the extent to which it grows depends upon skull shape. This also explains why some people will lose nearly all their hair whilst others lose hair in just one area (e.g., receding temples) or to a lesser extent (e.g., thinning hair).

So, if either existing MPB region follicles can be rejuvenated or healthy donor follicles/follicular units are transplanted to this area, normal healthy hair will be produced.

However, hair transplantation is a complicated process, so there's a lot more to it than that.

Transplanted follicles are avascular (i.e., without blood vessels) and must successfully stimulate angiogenesis (new blood vessel generation) if they are to survive. Follicles transplanted from the occipital region can successfully stimulate angiogenesis because:

1. They are healthy and active, vigorously producing hair.

2. They are normal sized, not miniaturized. This means that, when inserted, they should be slightly closer to the microcirculation (blood supply) beneath the follicle than are the remaining (miniaturized) follicles in the MPB region.

3. They have a small protective layer of brown adipose tissue (brown adipose tissue).

Brown adipose tissue is a type of fat (the other type being white adipose tissue) and has already been explained in a previous newsletter. If you missed it you can find out more from the following page:

http://www.top-hair-loss-remedy.com/brown-fat.html

Brown adipose tissue (or brown fat) accumulates around the follicles of healthy actively growing hair (such as in the occipital region), but not around dormant follicles such as in the MPB region. And it's been observed that the transplant technique known as follicular unit extraction (FUE) often lacks the protective layer of fat that other transplant techniques manage to extract from the donor site. In consequence of this, poor hair growth may result.

Also, studies have been made that link brown fat to angiogenesis.

So, for all these reasons, it is likely that brown fat assists in hair growth.

The picture below shows hair follicles penetrating deep into the fat layer, and the blood supply beneath it, in a healthy region of the scalp.



Follicles transplanted from the MPB region to some other part of the body cannot adequately grow hair because:

1. They are weaker and less active than follicles from the occipital region.

2. They are miniaturized and so will be further away from the microcirculation when inserted.

3. They do not carry any supportive adipose tissue.

Angiogenesis and healthy hair growth are, therefore, much less likely to succeed.

So, I would suggest that these are the reasons why transplanted follicles can grow hair in one region but not in another.

Rather than suffer the trauma of surgery, I believe the most effective way to beat hair loss is to treat the underlying cause: skull expansion. Many men and women are now using the techniques I developed to successfully stop their hair loss and restore normal hair growth again.

How Finasteride Treats the Secondary Effects of DHT

It is well known that DHT is linked to androgenetic alopecia. It's also quite well known that the drug finasteride can help reduce the rate at which this type of hair loss develops (and may even encourage new hair growth for some people).

However, it is not so well known that the purpose of DHT in the body is for hair growth, not hair loss. This steroid hormone is used by the body to promote the growth of bone, muscle and hair.

I believe the primary effect of DHT in the hair loss process is that it contributes to skull expansion by stimulating certain skull bones to grow. But DHT also has a secondary effect. This newsletter explains what this secondary effect is, and how finasteride provides some resistance to it.

Hair loss develops because skull expansion causes a reduction in the capillary blood supply to the hair follicles. Eventually, this causes follicle miniaturization which chokes hair growth. The body reacts to this by starting "upregulation" (hyperandrogenicity). This means that the body tries to restore normal healthy hair growth again by increasing DHT production* within the follicles that are affected by skull expansion.

* Remember, that's what DHT does: it stimulates growth, not loss.

Now, higher DHT levels will accelerate mitosis (cell division) and so should help struggling hair to grow.

But, when the rate of mitosis is increased, the blood supply becomes insufficient to grow hair that fast (i.e., because skull expansion has reduced the capillary blood supply). As such, the (papillae) cells in the root of the hair fail to meet the growth demand placed upon them by DHT.

Instead, the result of all this extra DHT is to make the body rush through the growth phase (anagen) and reach catagen (the shedding phase) and telogen (the resting phase) much sooner than it normally would.

This obviously causes the amount of hair loss to increase. It also means that more hair follicles are in the resting phase. And, whilst the hair growth cycle will restart again, strong healthy hair growth is less likely due to the progressive effects of skull expansion and further accumulation of DHT.

Also, since hair growth in the outer (dermal) layer of the scalp has been restricted, DHT will instead promote more rapid cell division at a deeper level of the scalp (called the stratum germinatum layer).

This interference with normal cell division can result in skin cells rising up towards the surface of the skin faster than normal, causing increased shedding of the skin - dandruff. (This was explained in a previous newsletter).

Finasteride treats this secondary effect of DHT by reducing levels of 5 alpha reductase (an enzyme that converts testosterone into DHT). And so, by reducing DHT levels in this way, finasteride extends the shortened anagen phase which, of course, allows more hair to grow.

However, finasteride does not reverse the miniaturization of the hair follicles. I believe this is because it does not effectively treat the skull expansion process (i.e., the underlying cause of hair follicle miniaturization). It only addresses the negative effects caused by the body when it increases DHT production (upregulation).

Another problem with finasteride is that further upregulation can easily occur. Many people experience this when they start using this drug.

Basically, the body can compensate for the reduction in 5 alpha reductase forced upon it by finasteride. Essentially, it tries even harder to increase the quantity of 5 alpha reductase and DHT production in the affected region of the scalp.

This explains why there can be an initial increase in hair loss when people start using finasteride and again when they stop using it.

Although finasteride and other drugs such as dutasteride and minoxidil are used by some people to treat hair loss, there's a risk of developing side effects.

The method I used and recommend is completely drug free.

The Best Shampoo For Hair Growth

What's the best shampoo to use for healthy hair growth?
And are there any types of shampoo you should avoid?

Well, first of all, if you read the last newsletter, you'll understand why I believe that anyone who suffers hair loss should shampoo quite frequently, perhaps even every day.

Obviously this means using a frequent use shampoo since these are less likely to contain the harsh chemicals that might strip the cuticle (outer layer of your hair) or slowly accumulate within your scalp.

So, what are the "harsh chemicals" that you should avoid?

The following list of ingredients can commonly be found in any type of shampoo.

All these ingredients are potentially harmful to the health of your hair!

Also included are the possible side effects associated with each ingredient, so you might want to check your own shampoo with this list - even those products the manufacturer's claim will promote hair growth might still contain some of these substances.

• Benzophenone-3 - protects shampoo from sun exposure.
  Contact dermatitis, photosensitivity (lack of tolerance to the sun).


• Benzyl alcohol - a preservative.
  Skin irritant (contact dermatitis). Harmful if swallowed.


• Cocamidopropyl betaine - a foaming agent.
  Skin irritant (contact dermatitis and contact allergies). May form carcinogenic nitrosamines.


• Cocamide mea - an emulsifier.
  Skin irritant (contact dermatitis and contact allergies). May form carcinogenic nitrosamines.


• Dmdm hydantoin - a preservative.
  Skin irritant (contact dermatitis and contact allergies). May form carcinogenic formaldehyde.


• Etidronic acid - a stabilizer.
  Reduces fertility in women. Causes problems during pregnancy.


• Linalool - a scent.
  Facial psoriasis. Respiratory problems.


• Parabens - a preservative.
  estrogenic activity (possible hormone disruption).


• Propylene glycol - prevents shampoo from drying out.
  Carries chemicals deep into the skin. Alters skin structure/inhibits cell growth.


• Sodium benzoate - a preservative.
  Asthma, skin allergies and affects those with aspirin sensitivities.


• Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) - a foaming agent.
  Removes the skins natural oils causing severe dryness. Eye irritant. Inhibits hair growth.


• Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) - removes oils.
  Allows chemicals to pass deep into the skin. Corrodes hair follicles. Inhibits hair growth.

So, given all this information, it might be wise to use an organic, frequent use, herbal shampoo instead.

And you might also want to consider using different types of organic shampoo on alternate wash days. This will give your body a short break from specific ingredients and so prevent your body desensitizing to any beneficial effects they have.

It should be noted that those who keep their hair throughout life and never suffer permanent hair loss, will probably do so regardless of what shampoo they use or how frequently they use it. The chemicals in normal shampoos might not help their hair grow, but it's the strong scalp circulation that keeps it growing - and nothing to do with the type of shampoo they use.

However, given the potential these chemicals have to harm us in other ways, maybe this should encourage everyone to play it safe and stop using these products. And, if everyone did this, perhaps the major manufacturers might eventually listen and start using organic ingredients instead.

Whilst I believe everyone should use an organic shampoo, I don't think there's any particular type that's better than any other. However, greasy hair will require a more acidic shampoo, so if this applies to you, a citrus-based product might be worth trying (and it may also help reduce DHT levels).

I'm sure there's no shampoo that can grow back lost hair all on its own, but I do believe that any organic shampoo might help hair grow to some extent by removing contact with these potentially dangerous chemicals.

Whatever you choose to use, I hope it helps.

Wash or No Wash? Part 2

Last week I explained that, soon after I started my hair loss research, I came across the suggestion that going without shampoo for a long time can be healthy for your hair.

And that, after about six weeks, your body will restore a natural balance to the level of sebum produced by the sebaceous glands inside your hair follicles.

I also revealed that I tried this idea out on myself.

So, did it work?

No!

It didn't do a thing for me. In fact, it actually increased my rate of hair loss!

This exercise gave me six weeks of "bad hair days"!

Given that my own rate of hair loss was particularly severe, my DHT and sebum levels would have been very high indeed. So, perhaps in cases of rapid hair loss, down regulation might simply take longer to kick-in. Maybe if I had continued for several months, the rate of sebum and DHT production might have slowed down a bit.

However, I felt like all my hair would fall out if I continued. I also figured that this whole idea is a mistake for anyone suffering from androgenetic alopecia (male and female pattern baldness) - if you go back maybe a thousand years, I'm pretty sure most of our ancestors didn't wash their hair very often, if at all.

But, they definitely did suffer androgenetic alopecia.

So, having experimented with this idea myself, I'm convinced that a high level of hygiene is a necessary component of good hair care. And I also believe that there's a good psychological effect to frequent hair washing - having clean skin and hair simply makes you feel good!

Whilst I've obviously made my decision, you might decide to give it a go. Everyone's different of course. So, what didn't work for me, might work for you. It may be worth trying. If it works, great. But you must also be prepared to suffer and not gain a thing from this experiment (apart from knowing that it simply does not work). So, if you try this idea, I wish you good luck!

I believe the most effective way to beat hair loss is to treat the underlying cause - skull expansion. I developed techniques to successfully stop my own hair loss and wrote an ebook so that others can do the same.

Wash or No Wash? Part 1

Soon after I started my hair loss research, I repeatedly came across the suggestion that going without shampoo for a prolonged period of time is healthy for your hair.

The reasoning behind this idea is that your body will, after about six weeks, restore balance to the level of sebum (oil) produced by the sebaceous glands inside the hair follicles (see diagram below).



For most people (including myself) this would mean a reduction in sebum rather than an increase. That's because, if you suffer hair loss, sebum and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels in the affected region of the scalp will become excessively high.

At first I thought this radical approach to hair hygiene seemed ridiculous. Most of us are exposed to pollutants virtually every day (exhaust fumes, chemicals in foods, cleaning agents, cosmetic products, etc). So I considered using shampoo every single day as a sensible measure. After all, we wash every other part of the body on a daily basis, so why not the hair?

Furthermore, other research suggested that a clean scalp encourages hair growth, whilst a scalp clogged up with sebum, dirt, etc will not.

However, given that sebum production is controlled by DHT (a hormone definitively linked to hair loss) I wondered whether DHT levels could be "down regulated" (reduced) using this approach. In other words, if my hair follicles got all clogged up with sebum, after a while would the sebaceous glands eventually get the message to decrease production? And, in turn, would this also reduce DHT levels?

I decided it was worth finding out the answers to these questions. So I performed this experiment for six weeks.

Within 48 hours, my hair, scalp and follicles were all clogged up with sebum. I wanted to quit of course (everyone does when they first try this sort of thing). But I persevered for the full six weeks.

So, did it work?

Alliums – What Are They? And How Do They Help Hair Grow?

Some home remedies for hair loss include rubbing natural substances like garlic and onion onto your scalp!

This newsletter discusses the benefits and practicalities of using these ideas as well as alternative variations you might prefer.

The reason why these substances can help hair growth is because of the sulfur they contain which boosts circulation when applied topically. And, since hair growth is dependent upon strong blood circulation, you can see why these compounds can be beneficial if you rub them on your scalp.

Unfortunately, the sulphur content also explains why they have such a pungent smell. And do you really want your hair smelling of garlic or onions?

No, of course not!

It's all well and good eating garlic and onions or taking supplements as they are extremely healthy for your body. But, rubbing them on your scalp at night, three or four times every week, then trying to sleep with both you and your room stinking of sulfurous compounds is completely impractical both to you and your partner in bed.

And trying to shampoo the smell away in the morning might not even work, which is also highly undesirable because it will basically affect everyone you meet!






However, taking garlic internally is something that's usually highly recommended (especially garlic).

Be it raw and fresh (something I personally can never do) or cooking it first (I can handle this in small doses but not every meal or every day) or maybe taking odourless garlic capsules to get a concentrated dose.

All these ideas should help your body and to some extent your hair. But this is not a cure for hair loss! The foods you eat, and supplements you take are important (and for some people with nutritional deficiencies maybe vital), but they will almost certainly not be enough to regrow your hair back and then keep it for life.

A good alternative supplement would be MSM (Methyl Sulfonyl Methane). This substance provides biologically active sulfur and trials have shown that it can improve hair and nail growth. MSM is a very affordable supplement you can buy from most health food shops.

Whilst I try to eat healthy foods, the way I beat baldness was by using a hands-on approach.

If you've already explored my website, then you'll know that male and female hair loss resulting from androgenetic alopecia is caused by skull bone growth. This is something the hair loss industry is still not yet aware of - despite my best efforts to tell them!

To deal with the problem of hair loss, I believe you must treat the underlying cause. And this does NOT mean simply taking DHT blockers or applying drugs like minoxidil and hoping they'll be enough!

My own approach to hair loss doesn't involve taking any supplements like MSM either.